On My Own Two Feet: A Jamie Madrox Story
by Zoken
Summary: its time for the recruits to start school. so whos the only one not looking foward to it. Multiple. Dont forget, Middle school wasnt the idyllic time our parents thought. love, hate and fun for the little guy. rated for some language and author innuen
1. chapter I

Okay a while ago I talked about a new Jamie story, so here it is. I think Jamie is the coolest of the recruits (coolest evo char is Kurt I wholly believe this)  
  
Jamie walked out of Professor Xavier office a little behind his classmates. They all talked excitedly to each other, but ignored him. The professor had just announced that the new recruits would begin attending normal schools tomorrow. Jamie had been the reason for the plural on the word "school". Being only twelve, several years younger than anyone else, he was still in middle school. While the others would have each other around to protect them from mutant haters, Jamie would be alone.  
  
"I really should be used to it," Jamie thought, "I was alone out on the farm, and I'm alone here." He was so deep in thought that he didn't even see Scott around the corner. And thus Scott and four Jamie's wound up on the floor. "Sorry," Jamie said curtly as he began "cleaning up".  
  
"Something wrong Multiple?" Scott asked. Jamie had never been rude in the times he had spoken to him before.  
  
"I'm just afraid of starting regular school again," Jamie explained. He hated the look Scott was giving him. It said, "Oh poor kid, I'll pay him some attention now so he doesn't feel bad, then I can forget he exists". Jamie hated that. He hated being patronized, a word he had learned from Dr. McCoy. "I am just afraid of being as alone there as I am here."  
  
"What do you mean alone?" Scott asked, "You got the other recruits you have the other X-men, you have the teachers, you're not alone."  
  
"Psh!" Jamie said angrily, "Maybe you have them, but I am just annoying 'Multiple'. Cant control his power, cant do anything cool, and way to young to get any jokes. Maybe you have all those people, but I don't." Jamie pushed past Scott hoping he could get to his room before the tears started flowing.  
  
"Hey," Scott said, "If its worth anything, you got me." Jamie stopped and turned around, the tears still barely held in his eyes. "What I'm saying is, if you have anything you wanna talk about, or maybe if you just wanna hang out, I'm here." Jamie couldn't believe someone would offer him that.  
  
Later that night Jamie decided that his problem was he had no idea what he was supposed to be like. But he had decided, he was going to be like Scott. So when he came out of his room the next morning, he was ready to see the world through rose colored glasses. He stepped into the common room and was walking up to Scott, when Kurt ported in front of him. He stopped in time to prevent other Jamie's from popping out, but not to avoid a slap from Kurt's tail. Kurt turned around to look at him.  
  
"Scott, someone shrank you!" Kurt yelled joking around. Suddenly everybody somehow was in the common room. And everybody noticed that Jamie was wearing a green sweater, khakis, red sunglasses, and had his hair just so.  
  
"Dude Scott, you got a Mini-Me," piped Bobby. Jamie was starting to think maybe this was a bad idea when he finally saw Scott come up and put an arm around him.  
  
"Don't listen to them Jamie, their just jealous of our keen fashion sense." This had almost everyone on the floor in stitches.  
  
Kurt, who had recently had to rethink his entire wardrobe after deciding to start going as himself ("Nothing goes vit Blue," he had been heard saying) said, "Dude, mien muzza has more American fashion sense, and she is in Germany!"  
  
Jamie was starting to feel attacked again when someone else stepped in. "Correction elf, our muther runs around in skin tight vinyl. Jamie, you look good." Jamie couldn't help but blush.  
  
"Thank you Rogue. At least one of my friends can see taste when they see it," Scott said, sounding as arrogant as he could.  
  
"Whoa, hold the boat shades, who said anything 'bout you. You look you missed the Gap when you fell and hit a 'Tweeds-R-Us'" Rogue said poking Scott playfully.  
  
"Students," Professor Xavier said standing in the hall, with the other teachers behind him, "I believe it is time to leave for school. Rogue, are you sure you are comfortable enough. . ." but he didn't get a chance to finish his sentence.  
  
"Ah'm good professor, thanks for the wheels," she said jangling a set of keys.  
  
"Uh, Professor," Scott said, "Do you mind if I go ahead and drop Jamie at school, it is on the way after all."  
  
"Yes thank you Scott."  
  
The students all piled into the three vehicles waiting in the driveway. It had been decided that Rogue was an excellent driver, and of age. So she now owned the keys to a jet black pick-up. The new boys, except for Jamie, jumped in the back, and Kurt ported into the passenger seat. Jean, Amara, Kitty and Tabitha piled into the SUV, and drove off in a conservative manner, which was so Jean. At the same time Scott hoped into his little red convertible, Jamie following suit, and peeled out.  
  
The teachers watched them from the window and Ororo sniffled, "Well there they go," sniffle, "You know what this means?"  
  
"I can finally go get a beer?" Logan guessed as he walked off dry eyed.  
  
"We go for eight whole hours," Beast offered, "with out having to replace something or send some one," at this point he coughed rather loudly, and it sounded a lot like the word "Me", "to the med bay?"  
  
"I get a break from a house full of people who are more preoccupied with Dawson' Creek ending, than with global affairs and I can go one day with out accidentally receiving an image of one of you naked?" the professor tried, then under his breath he muttered, "there goes that hope."  
  
"No, that we have finally taught them enough that they maybe ready for the world," Storm answered sternly. She was very worried about all her students, but none more than the littlest one.  
  
Jamie, said littlest one, was very nervous at the moment. Scott had dropped him off, and he was standing in the school yard. Ms. Storm had given him a class schedule to follow. So he already knew how to get to class, the real problem now was how to get people to talk to you. He looked this way and that. He had never seen anyone successfully break into a conversation. The closest he had come was when Kurt had showed him that movie, Night at the Roxbury. Luckily Jean had explained that those had been the wrong ways to do it. Jamie decided it would be best to try this one on one. He spotted a potential friend in a corner, sitting with a book in one hand and a note book in the on her lap, in her hand was a pencil, and on her face was frustration.  
  
Jamie wandered over to see what she was working on. He saw the numbers covering the page. He looked at her equation. "Twenty-five," he said.  
  
She looked up at him, "what?"  
  
"the answer, its twenty-five," Jamie said again. If Jean ever caught him giving answers, he knew he'd be in trouble, she had roared at Kurt for a week when he had done that for him. "You see, that little symbol means you multiply it by itself."  
  
She looked back at the page, and realization covered her face. "Thanks, that equations was kicking my ass," Jamie was taken aback by her language. Jean made everyone talk PG around him, so he assumed that was how kids his age spoke. "Name's Allison," she introduced herself as she stuck out a hand.  
  
"Multi. I mean Jamie."  
  
A shadow fell over Jamie, "Jamie is a girl's name. You a girl?" this voice was entirely unlike Allison's, her voice was sweet and kind, this one was harsh and murderous.  
  
Jamie turned to see the person behind him to be at least three inches taller than he was. Jamie swallowed hard and offered his hand in a futile attempt to be a friend, as apposed to a target, "Ja. Jamie Madrox, you can call me 'James' if you like."  
  
"Back off Thunk," Allison said to the bully, "He was just helping me with my math."  
  
"That true shrimp?" Thunk asked.  
  
"Y.. Yes sir. Multiplying is sort of my specialty. Jamie intended no pun, but he realized how funny it was at the wrong moment. He chuckled softly, and Thunk assumed that Jamie was laughing at him.  
  
"New guy you're about to hurt," and Thunk threw his fist at Jamie as hard as he could. Jamie said a Quick prayer thanking god he had been through all the defense training with Mr. Logan, and then Jamie flipped the bully over using Thunk's own momentum. This made Thunk even angrier, "Oh so what you think you're Jet Chan or somethin?" Jamie wanted to point out that it was Jet Lee or Jackie Chan, but really didn't feel like this was the appropriate time. Suddenly Jamie realized the real thing that made bullies so effective; thugs. Two belonging to Thunk had grabbed Jamie, and Thunk was already up for a hit.  
  
Suddenly a very large figure was between the two. The man was tall and olive skinned. Thunk's face paled as he looked at the tall man. "Something going on here Mr. Torvald?"  
  
"N-n-n no Mr. Takahashi."  
  
"Then why don't you run along, and you two, drop the new guy." The thugs did as they were told, and as Thunk was leaving, he shot Jamie a look that could only be interpreted as "He wont always be around".  
  
"You okay kid?" The big guy said looking at him.  
  
"Yeah, thank you, but if he had hit me. well lets just say he would have had more than he had bargained for," Jamie laughed at the thought.  
  
"You could've taken him out no problem, but you held back. Why?" the teacher was looking at Jamie in a weird way.  
  
"Oh, that little tae kwon do move? Just something a friend taught me. I don't know if I could have taken him on with just that."  
  
"No, I mean I read your file earlier, I know about where you live. So why did you hold back."  
  
"Because, I don't think it would be right to fight with powers against someone with out. Plus I didn't think of it."  
  
The coach laughed softly, "Listen, I am Coach Takahashi; I am the Boys PE Coach. I think I have you fifth period."  
  
"Okay." As the coach walked away Jamie realized that he would have more problems than just being a new kid. He had to worry about if people knew he was a mutant.  
  
He decided that he would have to pull a 'Kurt'. To Jamie, who hadn't seen the way Kurt had behaved in the high school, that meant doing something big, and attention getting. Jamie marched over to a picnic table, took a deep breath and stood up on it. "Can I have your attention please," he called loudly, but still in his polite voice, "I would like to introduce myself. My name is Jamie Madrox," He immediately received a round of applause for having the guts to do that, but he motioned with his hands for them to quiet down. "My friends call me Multiple. I am a Mutant."  
  
This brought utter silence the school yard. Then Thunk hurled his soda bottle, along with the insult, "Freak!" When the soda bottle hit Jamie in the head, two more Jamie's slid out. Jamie stepped down with the help of his two clones. Who as soon as he was on the ground, jumped in to be reabsorbed. The crowds parted as he made his way to home room. Whispers followed him, and he headed in, where the teacher was just setting things up.  
  
Jamie knocked and smiled, "Hi, I'm your new student, Jamie Madrox."  
  
"Ah, yes," the teacher said with distaste. Jamie didn't like the way the teacher was looking at him, as if her were scum, "You are our little mutant, from the Xavier school, hmm?"  
  
"Yes sir, the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youths. Is there something wrong?"  
  
"Yes, I personally believe the school board made a mistake allowing you things into school. I don't want you using what ever unnatural powers you posses to terrorize my students, or to cheat on my tests."  
  
"Sir I would never dream. . ."  
  
"Save it for some one more gullible. I know a monster when I see one. Your seat is in the back, I will thank you not to disrupt my class. And do try to keep up."  
  
The entire ten minutes of class was like that. If Jamie raised a hand he was ignored. If something broke (chalk, pencil tips, or bad reception) filthy glances were cast at Jamie. To make it worse, he also had his first period with this guy. Then in the lull between classes, Allison came in and sat down in the back next to Jamie. She had a big black eye.  
  
Jamie who walked to her side, "What happened to you?"  
  
"You may get beaned in the head by a soda bottle for being a mutant, but well this is what happens to a trophy girlfriend when she says that the mutant was nice."  
  
"I'm sorry." Jamie had no idea what to say. She had gotten hit for being nice about him, and he hadn't even been there. "Thank you."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"For not hating me."  
  
"Actually," she said leaning over to him, "I'm kind of obsessed with mutants, its almost a fetish."  
  
Jamie had no idea what fetish meant, but he was glad to have someone who didn't blame him for bad reception. "Well, did you wanna study with me some time?" he asked.  
  
"Sure, as you saw this morning I could use it. So your place or mine?"  
  
"Um, yours. The institute is kinda crowded."  
  
"Cool so how about say five?"  
  
"Umm..." but he never got to answer, the bell rang and the teacher cast him an accusatory glare. But midway through the lesson he managed to right on his note book and flash to her,  
  
"FIVE O'CLOCK  
MAGNETO HIMSELF COULDN'T STOP ME"  
  
She giggled, unsure of whether he was joking. She wrote back,  
"GOOD  
YOU BRING THE BRAIN  
I'LL BRING THE CHIPS."  
  
The rest of the school day was uneventful. Surprisingly he found Gym to be his favorite class. The reason was somewhere between all the girls being in really short shorts, and the coach being the only person not terrified, or loathing of him.  
  
When he stepped out onto the curb to wait for his ride, he realized that the middle-schoolers got out a half hour later than the high-schoolers. When Scott finally did arrive, he also had Kurt with him. Kurt had been banned from the pick-up for a week for trying to ride on top; his tail had gotten in the way and almost caused Rogue to lose the race she was having with Jean. "Sorry 'bout the wait man, you might need to get Logan to start driving you."  
  
"That's cool, it wasn't your fault," Jamie said as he climbed in the back seat.  
  
"So Mini-Scott, did you make any friends?" Kurt asked jokingly.  
  
"Actually I did make one. Um Scott? Can I get a ride at about four thirty?"  
  
"Sorry man, I can't," Scott said, looking apologetically at Jamie in the rear view mirror, "I promised Rogue I'd help her with some danger room sims. Don't worry we'll ask Logan, even better right."  
  
"Ja, vay better to be dropped off on a Harley than in dis," Kurt concurred.  
  
"Cool, but would Mr. Logan be as . . . well . . . sociable as you? I mean I'm sure Allison will have a million questions, and. . ."  
  
"Vait, dis freund is a girl!" Kurt shouted as he turned around in his seat, "Dude you haf a date! Vay to go! Da fuzzy dude rubs off."  
  
"Its.,., its not a date.,., is it?" Jamie was suddenly panicked, "I mean we are just going to study her math, she's a little rusty. It isn't a date, doesn't it have to be like, a restaurant and movie to be a date?"  
  
"I dunno Jamie, it could be a date," Scott said, playing with Jamie, "Will there be food?"  
  
"Uh, she said she'd bring the chips?"  
  
"Chips, can I come?"  
  
Both Scott and Jamie said the same thing, "No Kurt."  
  
"Vell dats just fine, I am meeting Amanda tonight anyway." With that he stuck his tongue out.  
  
They debated the entire way back to the mansion.  
  
Listen I am not near done with this chap, but I will cut it off here, I have never written one this long before. So I am going to up load this and hope you R/R  
  
By the by, it isn't a date. You haven't met the romantic interest yet, but you do know her brother. She is actual marvel. This should be enough of a hint for the sharper ones out there. 


	2. Chapter II

Okay I know this has been a long time coming. But I had to visit my muses, named Teevee and Radio and Books. And be glad I did. There is a scene in here that I am making a contest out of. it will be modeled after my favorite movie. The first three people to name the right movie can pick the names of a group of certain upcoming characters (one name for each correct guess) and I will let you know when the scene begins. Oh and to respond to the guessing I will say this. . . Most of you are right.  
  
Any ways on with the story, it is still the first day and Jamie has been primping.  
  
On My own Two Feet; A Jamie Madrox Story  
  
"Um. . . Mr. Logan?" Jamie asked timidly.  
  
"Yeah what's up short man?" replied the gruff Canadian.  
  
"Um, I was wondering, that is if your not too busy. . "  
  
"Do you need a ride or help with some piece of homework?" Logan completed for the nervous boy.  
  
"Um, ride. I made plans to study with a friend. I didn't want to ask Ms. Munroe, I think she would have a field day that I am just going over to another students house, I don't even want to tell her its girl." Jamie fidgeted; he knew that he could at least trust Mr. Logan to be discrete. If he told Ms. Munroe she would be aw-ing so loud half the school would think he was on a date.  
  
Logan raised a brow, "Going over to a girls house, huh?"  
  
"Um, yes sir."  
  
"Do we need to have a . . . um . . . talk?"  
  
"About what?"  
  
Logan gave him a pointed look.  
  
"Oh! No, Bobby told me all about that. It was the most uncomfortable five minutes of my life."  
  
"Five minutes . . . short man I think you and I still have a few things to cover."  
  
After a half an hour discussion, Jamie sat wide eyed, looking at Logan, who for the first time in his memory, was blushing; brightly. "Um . . . wow," Jamie squeaked.  
  
"Yeah, that's about how it feels after it too."  
  
"So then . . . but then . . ." But Jamie couldn't form a coherent thought. He eventually decided that he was way too young to have to deal with the kind of consequences Logan had described. Thus he decided that, no matter what Allison thought, this was NOT a date. "Um. will you be giving me the ride then?" he finally managed to ask.  
  
"Yeah, but I will be staying there to make sure you two actually study books, and not . . . well anatomy."  
  
Jamie didn't understand Logan's joke until he was bedded down for the night. But he was overjoyed that Logan had agreed to give him a ride. So Jamie ran and grabbed the spare helmet, and they were off.  
  
They pulled up to the house that Allison had given him the address to. It was nice; two stories, a light blue with white trimming. They knocked on the door and a man answered who was a little taller than Logan. He looked down at Jamie and asked "Are you Ally's little boyfriend?"  
  
A screech from behind him saying, "Daddy!" he opened the door wider and Allison was coming down the stairs in a hurried fashion. "I told you never to call me that in front of my friends! And he isn't my boyfriend, this is not a date. We are just friends."  
  
Both the father and Logan laughed heartily. The father waved them in and eyed Logan, "And you are sir?"  
  
"Logan, I . . . uh . . . I'm a tutor for the kid." Logan said, never quite sure how to explain his relationship with the kids. Especially since he want like Ororo, Henry or Charles, and teaching things. He just showed them how to make sure that they and their friends lived and their enemies didn't.  
  
"Come on Jamie," Allison said taking him by the wrist, "We're set up in the dining room."  
  
She led them into the small, compared to what Jamie was used to, dining room. He looked around and decided he like it. It was cozy. On the table was a pile of books and notebooks. Jamie noticed a lot of spots on the wall where there appeared to be pictures missing. Allison saw him looking, and as he opened his mouth to ask she said, "No one gets to seem me as a two year old." Jamie caught the smile she added to the end and laughed. The started cracking on the homework, and were only interrupted twice. Allison's father came through to get two beers, one for Logan.  
  
Half way through the English assignment she looked up at Jamie and asked, "Was this a date?"  
  
Jamie was thrown by the question and searched fruitlessly through his notes hoping she was talking about something in the story. He turned to her and said, "Um . . . I don't know. I was wondering about that too. Did you think it was?"  
  
"well that's the thing," she said, "My dad was oohing and awing about it. And I didn't mean for it to be one. And I like you and all, but I am really not your type."  
  
Jamie lowered his head as he guessed what this was about, "Is it because I'm a . . ." but he never got to finish as Allison covered his mouth.  
  
"Don't mention that," she said in an urgent whisper, "My dad doesn't like . . . well you know." Jamie began to feel more sure that his genetics was the reason for his non-date status, "But that isn't the reason I said that I'm not your type."  
  
Now Jamie was really confused. Allison saw this and began to explain, "Listen, you are a sweet guy, the sweetest I have ever met. But I am not the kind of girl you should go out with, I am rude, I am wild, and I am very . . . well, 'friendly'. The kind of girl you desereve is sweet and nice, and probably a farm girl. You want some one as good as you."  
  
Jamie was blushing bright scarlet by now and said, "Well if it helps, I had decided that it wasn't a date."  
  
"Oh!" she said and it was her turn to blush.  
  
They were about to turn their attentions back to the adventures of the Outcasts of Poker Flats, when Allison's dad could be heard from the other room, "The What Institute! You mean that you and that boy are freaks!?"  
  
"oh, no. . ." Allison murmured.  
  
Her father came storming in and pointed at Jamie, "Get out freak, or I will call the cops I swear to God." The eyes which had been kind and jovial when they had first met only a half hour ago, were now burning with hatred. Jamie gathered his things, and slowly walked out the door. Allison's father looked at her angrily and his hateful tirade could be heard until Logan started his motorcycle.  
  
Jamie came home and finished his homework and went straight to bed. And though his roommate Bobby came in at nine, he was too late to hear Jamie cry himself to sleep.  
  
The next day Mr. Landauer, his homeroom teacher, stood up with the announcements. At the end he added, "And even though the school board has chosen to allow mutants into our schools, it understands the desire of some families to escape the mutant menace and relocate students into other schools. Many of your classmates have already taken this route, Allison Harper for one has decided to evade the mutant stalking her.  
  
Jamie couldn't believe the half-lie he was telling. He was also surprised that Allison's last name was Harper. He knew he would never have a chance at this school, especially now that Allison was gone.  
  
The rest of the day was just horrible. Everyone had gotten over the shock that he was a mutant and decided it was now safe to give him hell. He would get jostled bumped and pushed over, and every time everyone would back away as three or more clones came out. Luckily Jamie could keep them on a tight leash. All he ever let them say was, "leave him alone," or something to that effect. Then they would help him up and merged back in.  
  
His only respite was Gym class. Coach Takahashi made sure no one picked on him. After class Coach pulled Jamie aside and told him that he was impressed with the way Jamie was controlling himself, and that if it were him, he would have busted some heads by now. Jamie just nodded dumbly and went on.  
  
When he went home he went to sulk in the common room. Suddenly Kurt bamfed in. (A/N: contest scene begins now. It is to the best of my recollection, so there may be a few things wrong, plus I had to change a few things to make it work)  
  
"Mail call!" cried the blue furry elf. Almost everyone in the common room leapt up to form a horse shoe around Nightcrawler. Kurt began calling out the last names of the recipients of the letters:  
  
"Lee,"  
  
"Smith,"  
  
While he was throwing the letter to the addressees he began showing off by throwing them behind his back and under his legs.  
  
"Summers,"  
  
"Drake"  
  
"Drake,"  
  
"Drake,"  
  
"Drake," people were laughing and making noises as Bobby got his small pile of letters.  
  
"Drake," Kurt smelled this one for effect as he tossed it to Bobby.  
  
"Pryde,"  
  
"Guthrie . . ."  
  
"Guthrie . . ."  
  
Once again he called Sam's name, and as the crowd turned around, they saw Same asleep on the couch. Kurt shook his head, grasped the letter by the bottom corner and threw it at Sam like a knife. After this he flourished his hands showing that he had no more mail.  
  
Jamie sat beside Sam, who had just realized what had awoken him; the impact of the letter on his forehead.  
  
"Hey I got a letter," he said as Jamie sat down beside him.  
  
"Man," said Jamie, "You gonna have to read that to me, I aint gotten a letter since I got here." Jamie and Sam had gotten along well from the beginning, mostly because they were both farm boys.  
  
"Its from my little brother, he writes  
  
Dear Sam,  
  
We sure have been missing you on the farm. Uncle Daryl fixed up his old mustang, and now it runs like greased owl shit,"  
  
Jamie interrupted him, "That's a simile aint it,"  
  
"Yeah it is, anyway.  
  
(A/N End scene)  
  
"Then it broke down when he rolled it in a race with Dunnam brothers. Then you should see some of the . . ." Sam began to just stare at the paper. "Oh, no. . . I gotta talk to the Professor!" 


	3. Chapter III

Okay guys, I know this has been forever, but only one person ever guessed the movie. Which was . . . Renaissance Man, starring Danny DeVito and Mark Walburg. The reason Bobby got all that mail is that I picked him randomly. I would have picked Kurt except he is the one handing out the mail. Any ways, welcome back and I hope I don't disappoint.  
  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
On My Own Two Feet: a Jamie Madrox Story  
  
Chapter three  
  
It didn't take long for Sam to explain the situation to Professor Xavier, and for the team to get assembled. The situation was that his sister was tearing her face off with metal faces, and cotton faces underneath. She was a mutant. The team was Sam (of course), Scott, Jamie, and Logan. Scott and Logan had gone out to the Guthrie farm before, to pick-up Sam. It was a tedious ride in the velocity, and then they had to take a car with them because they could land the XM Velocity too close to the farm (they had found out the hard way that aircraft spook cattle when at close range).  
  
Jamie felt almost like he was returning home. He himself had grown up on a farm, but as he saw the fields well tended, he know that there were actually people there, not just a pair of cold parents and their son who was practically a hostage. As they pulled the X-Van, which they had airlifted to the outskirts of the town, up to the farm house, a wave of children came running out of the enormous farm house. Sam was the last to get out, and the second he did, thirteen children leapt atop him, and one little infant slowly crawled to the top of the heap and sat their smiling at her accomplishment. As they had jumped upon their oldest brother, they each said the same thing, "Guthrie Dog pile!"  
  
As Sam reached out to his teammates for help they looked at each other devilishly, calmly said, "Guthrie Dog pile," and plopped themselves on either side of the baby girl. After certain threats were made, Sam was eventually allowed to get up, and breath. He cast a look of laughing betrayal at his team mates, but it was quickly removed when a stout woman in a flowered dress and apron came out of the house.  
  
"Sammy! Sammy 'zat you?" called the warm looking plump woman.  
  
"Momma!" Sam yelled as he ran over and wrapped his mother in a hug.  
  
"Oh, baby, its good to have you back," she said as she hugged him. She then turned her attention to her son's traveling partners, "Logan, ya'll hungry for more 'a mah pot pah?"  
  
"If yer cooking Mabel," Logan said tipping his Stetson to her, "You had better believe it."  
  
"Oh, Scott, ya'll still as thin as an stalk 'a corn, come on in an' let Auntie Mabel put some meat on 'em bones."  
  
"Thank you very much Mrs. Guthrie," Scott said. He liked this woman because she treated everyone as her child. Kurt had made the joke that it might be because she had so many, it was just easier to assume that every one was. of course Kurt practically begged to stay with someone who cooks so much, so well.  
  
"And I take it 'is is yer little bruther Sammy talked 'bout. Alex, was it?" she said directing her attention at Jamie.  
  
"Uh, actually," Scott said, with a hand on Jamie's back, "This is Jamie Madrox. My brother lives in Hawaii."  
  
"Oh, well sorry dear," Mabel said giving Jamie a warm hug, "It's a honor to meet ya. Ya'll come on in an' sit down an' rest a spell."  
  
"Whar's Paige, Momma?" Sam asked, he knew that they needed to start talking about her.  
  
"She's in the corn field Sam," said Sam's nine year old brother Matt Beer Guthrie (A/N: my only Winner and he didn't leave a name, so I wanted to make sure he got recognized).  
  
"Oh, shoot," said Mabel, "It'll take hours to find 'er unless we all go searchin'"  
  
"I'll take care of it Mrs. Guthrie," Jamie piped up.  
  
"Oh, that's sweet dear, but that there corn field's purty big, it'll take hours fer one person to find one person."  
  
"Don't worry Momma," Sam said, "This is the Multiple guy I wrote you 'bout," Sam explained.  
  
"Oh, well bless mah heart, I been wantin' to see this little guy do his trick. More than any 'a yer friends Sammy, I wanted to see this 'un."  
  
Jamie blushed, and turned to face the corn field which they had driven through. He took a deep breath, and concentrated on twenty. That was how many clones he wanted to make. He clapped his hands for effect, he actually could do it with out even moving, but the clap of the hands looked good. Suddenly there were twenty other Jaime's.  
  
"Well, lan' sakes, I wouldn't mahnd bein able ta do tha'" said Mrs. Guthrie. "Always so much to do, and never enough hands."  
  
"Do you need help getting ready for dinner?" Jamie asked excitedly, "Cause we love to help." He clapped his hands and four more clones slid out of him. Jamie looked to each one of them in turn and they jogged over to help Mrs. Guthrie get ready for dinner. "We'll be back in before you guys say grace!" a clone called out. And with that the clones and the original plunged along into the maize, while everyone else went in with the four Jamie's to help get dinner ready.  
  
Not for the first time, Jamie was thankful that each clone could think for itself, because having to control twenty-five minds would have been a pain. He luckily had a form of telepathy linking him and the other clones.  
  
It was ten minutes later (they were beginning to hurry because Jamie's inside were telling them that dinner was almost ready) that a clone found Paige.  
  
"Uh, hi," Said the nervous clone.  
  
Paige leaned back where she said on the earth. She didn't know this kid, or why any stranger would be in their cornfields this late in the day. "Who are you?" she said carefully as she stood up.  
  
"I'm J-16," said the clone calmly. He wanted to show her he meant no harm, but with a name like J-16, he knew she had to be freaked.  
  
"What kahnd of a name is that?" she asked incredulously. The truth was, she thought anyone with as dorky a name as that was no harm.  
  
"you'll see," he smiled as the other Jamie's started to show up. It was getting crowded, and Paige was getting a little scared, until Jamie showed up. He absorbed all the clones from the cornfields as they showed up, and saved J-16 for last. "Nice job 16," he said with a pat on the back as he absorbed the clone.  
  
"Whut on Gahd's green earth are you?!" Paige screamed.  
  
"I'm a mutant, like you and your oldest brother," Jamie said kindly.  
  
"But ah caint do nuthin lahk that, can ah?" she asked getting really confused.  
  
"Not as far as I know," said Jamie. "But I know some people who can answer all the questions you have. A couple of them are sitting down to dinner at your house now. So what do you say you come back with me to the farm house, we eat dinner, and you talk to Mr. Logan and Scott about your powers."  
  
"How do you know ah have paurs? And how do ya'll know 'bout Sammy?"  
  
"Simple, I am his friend. We live in the same mansion. We would like you to join us."  
  
"What 'bout mah momma?" she asked.  
  
"Well that's what we talk about over dinner."  
  
"Well . . . okay," she eventually resigned. With that they return to the farm house just twelve seconds before grace was said (the clones had been successful in stalling).  
  
Dinner was an elaborate affair, at least as far as Jamie was concerned. There was tons of food, laughter and fun. In the end, Paige agreed to try the institute. Here things were packed and they were on their way. On the car ride back to the XM-Velocity, Paige had some questions that she hadn't thought to ask over dinner.  
  
"Are there a lot of other girls at the institute?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah, though a couple of them left recently," Scott answered. When he said this Sam looked forlornly out the window remembering his Rahne. (A/N: everybody puts Sam and Rahne together so I'll just jump on the band wagon here).  
  
"There's Jean," Scott began to list the remaining females, "Amara, Tabby, Kitty, and . . . Rogue." Scott said the last name with a dreamy tone in his voice.  
  
Jamie, who had been staring absently out the window, added the first thing that came to his mind; "Yeah, but none of them are as pretty as you."  
  
Jamie went rigid as he realized what he had just said. Scott and Logan chuckled, Sam Snarled, and Paige blushed and thanked him. Jamie remained a bright red for the rest of the trip.  
  
Paige wouldn't be going to public school for a while. Jamie however still had to go through the torturous hell the next day. It wasn't shaping up to be a good week.  
  
Then on Wednesday Coach Takahashi took Jamie aside during PE and again congratulated him on his self-restraint. He then said, "you know, I was watching the news the other night and I saw some pictures of you and your friends. I couldn't help but wonder about how different from your old picture you look. And how much like one of your classmates you look."  
  
"Uh, yeah," Jamie said, "I kinda wanted a new look. People respect Scott, and I wanna be respected too."  
  
"Jamie," the coach said knowingly, "My father once told me something very important: If all you do is repeat things someone else said, then you never get heard. Do you understand?"  
  
"Yeah, I guess."  
  
"But . . ."  
  
"But no one hears me anyway. And no one likes me as I am. I'm just too darn weak," Jamie said, wishing once again that he could curse better.  
  
"well I can help you with that last part," Coach Takahashi offered. "You can join my Wednesday/Thursday weight training group."  
  
"Really?" Jamie was surprised because no one offered to let him do physical things normally.  
  
"Yeah really. Wed./Thur. is for beginners right now, so you wont be out of your depth."  
  
"Cool!" Jamie was now excited about the possibility. He didn't delude himself, he knew it would be hard work. But Jamie wanted something to give himself some sort of power. "but, I gotta call the . . ."  
  
"Already done," Coach Takahashi cut him off. "Professor Xavier and I both thought you would benefit from something like this. You can start tonight if you like, but you have to bring your gym clothes."  
  
"Awesome!" Jamie was now exstatic. He was finally going to belong to a club (aside from the X-Men).  
  
A few hours later, Jamie walked to the weight room Coach Takahashi told him about, stopped, and stared. He was the only guy in the room. The girls already in the room stared at him. they knew he was the school mutant. "What the hell are you doing here?" asked one girl with dark hair with blonde streaks.  
  
"I'm, uh, looking for the Wed./Thur weight training group." Jamie was unsure as to why these girls were here after school, but the one talking to him was scary. "Could you tell me where it will meet?"  
  
"Right here," squeaked a girl in the back of the room. She didn't dare look at Jamie. She'd heard a rumor that he could melt your brain if you looked him in the eye.  
  
"Oh," Jamie stated, "I didn't expect this many girls."  
  
"Why," said girl one, "Because women are weak? Because we belong in the kitchen? Huh, why you chavenistic mutant pig?"  
  
"Uh, actually," Jamie said as he cowered in the corner she had backed him into, "I just didn't think that girls were that into it. I'd be an idiot to think girls are weak."  
  
This successfully stymied Streak girl until Coach Takahashi showed up. He saw here with Jamie in a corner and said with a smile, "Cassandra, are you making our new team member feel welcome, or attacked?"  
  
She backed off and looked at her feet, successful chastised. "Remember," Coach continued, "There are those who would put you down for being on the team.  
  
After that the coach had everyone introduce themselves. Streak Girl was actually Cassandra Kay, the Squeaker in the back was Madelyn Boviea, there were a few others, but the only one who stood out was Katelyn Dempkoski, a real talker whose mother was making her take the course. There were three Megan's (although one was technically Meagan Calvert).  
  
By the end of the meeting, Jamie knew basic etiquette, how to operate, how to spot, and that two nights a week he would return to the mansion hurting like hell. Luckily Wolverine let this count as one of his Danger-Room sessions.  
  
But there was one thing that Jamie still wanted to try, even as he was becoming less like Scott, he wanted to have a date. He knew who he wanted to ask out, but of course, like Scott, he didn't have the guts to make a move. What's a kid to do?  
  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Well? What do you think? The girls (except for Madelyn) whose full names you get are real. Casandra was a girl I knew in high school who I know took weight training. Meagan was another girl from HS. And Katelyn is a relative whose mother probably would make her take weight training.  
  
I tried to make this even better . . . what did you thing????? Please review, PLEASE!!!!! 


	4. Chapter IV

Dark-English-Rose: Thank you very much.  
  
Leevee: cool, you wouldn't happen to have once lived in GA, would you have?  
  
A.M.Bookworm: I don't know why they are always together. But they are, so I jumped on the band wagon.  
  
Pix: well thank you I am glad you like it.  
  
Neemers: well I am glad to have you reading this.  
  
On My Own Two Feet; A Jamie Madrox Story  
  
Jamie quickly acclimated (yet another Dr. McCoy word) to his new lifestyle. He especially like hanging out with the girls at Weight Training. He usually spotted for Cassandra. He found that he liked Cassandra. It wasn't that she was particularly nice to him or anything, it was that she did jump when he walked into the room. She wasn't afraid of him. He liked that. She reminded him of Rogue. She seemed about as friendly as a den of cobras, but deep down, she just needed a friend.  
  
Another recent addition to his life that he enjoyed was Paige. They could often be found on the roof, looking at the stars and talking. Currently, three months after she arrived, he was working up the courage to try and hold her hand.  
  
Jamie was also very happy to have a secret. You see, he had found some very useful applications of his power. Since all his multiples were connected telepathically to him, he could set them all to a different book, and retain all the knowledge as if he had read them himself. He was now fluent in Spanish, and was now working on Latin. Also he had been having multiples study books on sewing and such. He was designing his own uniform. It was still going to be blue, but a brighter blue. It would have three bright yellow M's on the chest. Jamie wasn't going to go by "Multiple" for much longer. Soon he would be "Madrox, the Multiple Man." He was also designing it to go with a Bomber Jacket his parents had let him take when he left. It had always been too big for him, but now it was fitting quite well.  
  
Jamie, while his multiples studied, would take lessons with Mr. Logan. Jamie liked learning about how to fix and operate Mr. Logan's bike. Boom-Boom was also teaching him a few tricks, like hotwiring. All in all, Jamie's life was getting good.  
  
Jamie was in the weight room one day, spotting for Cassandra as usual, when she asked him, "So when is this Guthrie girl supposed to start school with us?"  
  
"Soon," Jaime said. "The Professor says her power is more passive than most of the rest of ours. He says it should be easy for her to control."  
  
"She gonna need protection?" Cassandra was big on protecting people.  
  
"Nah, if someone wants to hit her, she can just turn into stone." Jamie was so used to all this he was surprised at the look of shock Cassandra gave him.  
  
"Is that her power, to turn into stone?"  
  
"No, but her real power would disturb you a little too much."  
  
Cassandra gave him a pissy look as she pushed the weights back up to their normal position, she sat up and said, "Do I look like I freak at things?"  
  
"Alright," Jamie said as he and Cassandra switched places, "Her power is shape-shifting via removing her skin."  
  
Cassandra froze as she put her hands on the weights Jamie smirked and said, "Told ya so."  
  
She shook her head and said, "Well be careful Jim." She never called him Jamie. Only James or Jim. "I heard tell about this group forming up, a lot of people are joining."  
  
" 'Friends of Humanity'?" Jamie asked in clarification as he pressed the weight.  
  
"Yeah, you heard of them?"  
  
"The Professor briefed us on them when they first started popping up."  
  
"Just thought I give you a heads up."  
  
"Aaaarggghhhh" Jamie grunted on his last press.  
  
"Wuss," Cassandra said good naturedly as he she helped him get the weight into place. He gave her a good natured shove as he sat up. "Oh, Hey!" Cassandra chirped, "The girls are going to the mall, did you want to invite Paige and come with us?"  
  
"Hey, that would be a great idea. She'll get along great with Meagan." Jamie smiled as they went towards the locker rooms  
  
"Which one?" Cassandra asked rhetorically, and Jamie chuckled. They split to go into their locker rooms. When he came out carrying his gym bag, he said to her, "I'll give you a call on your cell when I get home and ask her."  
  
"Cool, we'll see you there." With that she joined the other girls as they walked their separate ways.  
  
Scott was outside waiting for Jamie. "Hey, Short-stuff, you ready to head home?"  
  
"Yup," he said. Jamie would have literally hopped into the car like Scott did, but his arms hut a little too much for that. He flopped down, and then looked over at Scott and asked, "hey Scott, is it possible for me to get a ride to the mall a little later?"  
  
"Sorry Buddy, but I am running sims with the other recruits all afternoon."  
  
"Hmmm . . . What are Rogue and Jean doing?"  
  
"Jean's with me, but I think Rogue is free."  
  
"Cool."  
  
They talked about a lot of different things on their way home. "Hey Paige," Jamie called as he saw her lounging in a chair in the common room.  
  
"Jimmy guess what!" she said cheerily.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I have a Mutant name! Now I am not just Paige Guthrie, I am also Husk!"  
  
"Cool." Jamie felt uncomfortable as he worked up his nerve. "Paige, did you wanna go to the mall with me and some of the girls from WT?"  
  
"I don't wanna intrude," Paige said. She was always so polite.  
  
"They invited you. It will be cool. I would love it if came."  
  
She looked at him for a minute, "You would?"  
  
Jamie's eyes went wide as he realized what he said, "I mean 'we' as in me and the girls. That's what I meant. . . er .. .. um . . ."  
  
"I think it would be nice to get out of the house.  
  
Jamie was so happy she agreed. He called Cassandra right away, she said that she and the girls were all already on the way there. So Jamie roped Rogue into giving them a ride, no woman can say no to Jamie's patented puppy-dog pout, especially when he delivers it from four places at once. Then add in Husk turning into Jamie and making the same face. Rogue was out of options.  
  
Rogue agreed to give them both a ride to the mall, provided Jamie rode in the back. She drove like a true southerner, which meant aiming for every pothole and speed bump. With Jamie it could get very crowded in the cab of a truck. They had to agree however not to pull her into their circle. However nice she was, she was still a good deal older than them.  
  
They hooked up with the girls in the food court. "Ladies," Jamie said in a very showy fashion, "This is Paige 'Husk' Guthrie; The newest addition to the Xavier institute."  
  
"But Jimmy's still the youngest by three months," Paige added. Jamie gave her a playfully foul look and punched her arm.  
  
"Paige," Cassandra asked, "I don't know if this is considered rude among your people but . . . ."  
  
"Mah 'people'?" Paige questioned.  
  
"Mutants," Cassandra explained. "I was wondering if you could demonstrate your power. Jim here explained it once, but I'm not sure I understand."  
  
Paige chuckled and said, "No problem. Pick a substance."  
  
"Wood," piped Meagan.  
  
"Okay" Paige closed her eyes and a slight ripple sort of ran through her skin. Then she reached into the corner of her mouth and pulled. Just like that, it started to come off. It peeled off in sheets and small bits, but it came off eventually. The girls just stared. Eventually all the skin was off (all that was visible, she wasn't about to check the rest in public), and it was quite obvious that Paige was now made of wood. "Ta- da!" she said simply with a wide smile. "look Ah stole George Washington's teeth!"  
  
Katelyn snorted a laugh. Cassandra giggled a bit, and then they all cut out. they were hysterical over the joke. Paige closed her eyes once again and the ripple once again went through. She began removing the Wooden skin and as she started squirming in her shirt said, "Ah think Ah need to use the girls' room."  
  
'Apparently,' Jamie thought, 'the rumors about girls going to the bathroom in packs is true. He stood against the wall in the food court, just outside the hall where the restrooms were. They had all but two given Jamie their purse to hold. So Jamie stood there trying his damndest to find a masculine way of holding not just one purse but three. He tried waving at some guys he knew from school but they skirted his gaze best they could.  
  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
That day at the mall turned out to be Paige's last day as an institute bound student. Prof. Xavier talked to Jamie and Paige about how things went and he decided it was alright for her to begin classes at the middle school with Jamie.  
  
Unlike Jamie, Paige got into drama. She found the drama group to be so liberal they actually wanted her to join. Eventually Jamie screwed up the courage to talk to her about being something more than friends.  
  
"Uh, Paige?" Jamie said to her.  
  
"Yeah Jimmy?" She said as she turned.  
  
His breath caught in his throat as he watched her blonde hair twirl. "Erm. Eh. That is I wanted to talk to you Paige. About us."  
  
"what about us Jimmy?" she bit her lip. She had been waiting for him to make a move since day two at the institute. It had taken him six months to get the courage to talk to her like this.  
  
"Well. You see Paige. I really like you. And I would like us to be more. . . er . ."  
  
"More what Jimmy?"  
  
"More than friends." He looked an waited for her response.  
  
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
TBC ha ha. 


	5. Chapter V

"Well Jamie, I've been hoping you would ask me." Her smile kept him hypnotized. "Jamie, I'd love to be your girlfriend."  
  
"Really?!" Jamie squealed. He wrapped Paige in a big hug and lifted her up and spun her. She laughed with delight  
  
Paige unfortunately looked at her watch, "Ah Damn. I gots to get to rehearsal."  
  
Jaime looked frowned and said, "Yeah, and I have to get to Weight training."  
  
His face lifted, "But how about I walk you to rehearsal . . . or, he will." With that, Jamie pinched his arm and a duplicate split off.  
  
Paige kissed Jamie on the cheek and waved bye. She walked off with the duplicate arm in arm, looking back at Jamie.  
  
Jamie leapt for joy. That was when it happened. He felt the distress beacon from his dupe. He began to run to where he could feel him. He got to the parking lot just in time to see an unmarked van peeling out, while Paige screamed from inside, "Jamie! Help!"  
  
Only Coach Takahashi even cared. When they called the police, they were obviously less than concerned. Then they called Xavier. Wolverine was on the scene in the next twelve minutes. He smelled around. Xavier said they had some sort of psionic shielding device around Paige and the dupe. Jamie went to the professor, but Scott intercepted him and said, "Not now dude. He needs to concentrate."  
  
"But . . ." Jamie tried, but they wouldn't listen.  
  
He was eventually ushered home. No one could fathom why Jamie seemed angry with everyone. They told him to stay in his room and they would find her. Wolverine was trying track them down on foot. Scott and the other X- Men were standing by for her location. Sam was similarly confined to his room. No one went to see either. That was unfortunate as Jamie actually had something important to say.  
  
He could still communicate with his dupe. Paige and the Dupe had weird collars around their necks that canceled their powers. But Jamie could still communicate with the dupe. Jamie could even feel where they were. But no one would listen. That meant there was only one option left.  
  
(A/N; when I originally thought this scene up I was listening to Bon Jovi's My Life, it might help if you did too."  
  
Jamie pushed back the clothes that hung in his closet to reveal the finished uniform. It was electric blue spandex, with three armored, yellow M's going up the torso. It had the shoulder pads, and the X-Men belt, but that was the only similarity. he pulled on the new uniform, then he put his bomber jacket over it, flipping up the fleece collar.  
  
He opened his window and looked around. There was no one on the lawn. He crawled onto the small ledge that was in front of his window. He pulled out two dupes who held his legs while he leaned over the edge. He looked in front facing windows. No one was in those rooms. He crawled back up and turned around. He hung by his arms on the edge of the roof. He then began to, one-by-one, spawn off clones who would drop and grab his ankles. Eventually the human chain reached the ground. At that point they all simultaneously sat back on each other's shoulders. Jamie then began to reabsorb them and slowly reach the ground.  
  
Once on the ground he pulled out another clone to play look out, while he picked the garage door lock. He slowly lifted the door manually. He picked up the helmet Logan had made especially for him with yet another M emblazed on it. He put it on and began the tricky process of hotwiring Logan's bike. It would have been impossible for even a master thief, if it weren't for the fact that Jamie was familiar with the bike's systems. He quickly bypassed every thing and every alarm and roared off into the night.  
  
Mr. McCoy had heard the noise along with a number of other new recruits. They had rushed out the door, to find the bike already outside of the grounds. "Damnit Sam," Beast said under his breath.  
  
"For what Mr. McCoy?" asked Sam from behind him.  
  
Beast whirled around to stare. "If you're here . . ." He began, "Then who . . . ?"  
  
Jamie's recent growth spurts had meant that he could easily reach the foot pegs. As he roared through town, he quickly noticed a police car was following him with lights and siren going. He only knew one thing to do. He focused a part of his mind on every piece of the motor cycle Logan had ever taught him about. Every nut and bolt. Then suddenly, instead of following one bike, the police car was following four. Suddenly at an intersection all of them went a different direction. The police driving the cruiser were so baffled, that he didn't see the light change and hit the car that had just pulled out.  
  
Five blocks away all the Jamies merged back into one. Jamie could feel he was getting closer to the missing dupe. he finally pulled up to the abandoned ware house that he could feel contained his dupe. the dupe told him that Paige was fine, and that no one was particularly near the door. Jamie opened the bag that he knew Mr. Logan kept "toys" in. he pulled out one hand grenade, and pulled the pin. He tossed it at the door and stood back. The explosion was deafening. Jamie pulled off his helmet and set it with the bike.  
  
"Release the girl, and leave now!" he yelled as he stepped through the debris that had formerly been a door. As he passed out of the smoke he saw a mass of forty people, all very well armed. He saw Paige and his dupe in a cage about the size of a closet. Paige looked at him desperately.  
  
"Who's gonna make us?" asked on of the forty.  
  
"Me," Jamie said simply.  
  
"You and what army?" the speaker mocked.  
  
Jamie's face twisted into a wicked smile. "Funny you should ask that," Jamie responded. Jamie threw his head back and screamed as he pushed close to his limit and called out fifty dupes.  
  
The men were shocked, but they didn't seem scared. "What, fifty twelve-year-olds? Like we cant take that?"  
  
"Guess I had better send in the clones then," Jamie replied. At that point all of the fifty clones gave a grunt as they each called out five clones. It was suddenly quite crowded.  
  
"So to answer your earlier question . . . Me and this army."  
  
Everyone hesitated trying to understand what the next move was. With so many clones, Jamie's head was buzzing with telepathic communication. So he gave his next command out loud. "Dupes . . . RIOT!"  
  
The term "All hell broke loose" would not be sufficient to describe what happened next. Every dupe began trashing whatever they could get their hands on. That included people. There were boxes piled very high, as there are in all good abandoned warehouses, and one dupe climbed up on top of one and began dance like a crazed savage (a big nod to Pirate Kit and her story, "The Private Life of Jamie Madrox"). Boxes were shattered and things were thoroughly destroyed. Needless to say the kidnappers were no match.  
  
Over half an hour after Jamie set foot inside the warehouse, it was torn to shreds. Many of the kidnappers lay on the floor muttering, some had just been knocked unconscious. Most of the dupes had been called back in. only thirteen remained. Six incase someone got up, and six trying to reign in the one who danced like a savage. Jamie was currently trying to pick the lock on Paige and J-2's cage, which was now only occupied by Paige. J-2 had been reabsorbed by Jamie the second that he had reached the cage.  
  
He worked feverishly with the complex lock, but got nowhere. All of a sudden the lock was slashed off by one long claw shaped piece of adamantium. Paige looked at Mr. Logan with joy in her eyes. Jamie's eyes, which were the size of dinner plates, were to busy having Jamie's life flashed before them, to be filled with something. Jamie knew he had stolen the one item Mr. Logan actually cared about. The one inanimate object that Mr. Logan actually had emotions connected to.  
  
"If you ever take Susie without my permission again, I will gut you so help me god," growled the Canadian.  
  
"Yes sir," Squeaked Jamie in reply.  
  
Jamie looked past Mr. Logan to see the rest of the X-men had arrived. Only the adults and the original team had come. Prof. Xavier was obviously looking through Jamie's thoughts to see what had run through his mind. Suddenly the Professor took a shocked look and then an embarrassed one.  
  
"Logan my friend," Charles said. "This may be our fault. It seems that Mr. Madrox tried to inform us that he could still communicate with his duplicate, but we were to preoccupied to listen." He turned to the students, "How does the saying go? We couldn't see the forest for the trees?"  
  
in the end Jamie didn't get in any trouble. He and Paige dated for three months and broke up. They are still friends, but Jaime is interested in another new girl now, her name is Illyana.  
  
Paige stayed with the Xavier Institute until college where she went onto get a nursing degree.  
  
The kidnappers were the FoH, and were arrested on the spot.  
  
Coach Takahashi was fired from the middle school for insubordination one year later; he refused to flunk Jamie and Paige. He was hired on at the Institute to teach a regular gym class and continue Jamie's weight training regime.  
  
The girls quit weight training when they fired Coach Takahashi. They train everyday at the institute with Jamie and the Coach.  
  
Allison grew up to be a staunch Mutant rights activist, and returned to be a great friend of Jamie's. she will forever be remembered around the institute as "The Girl With the Mutant Fetish." 


End file.
